So what has the 1st Kettering Scout Group been up to in July? 

  • The new Squirrel Drey is really establishing itself. After a meeting learning about the fruits of the world and making fruit kebabs, the Drey spent a night at JLC making their own Squirrel Den / Nest. We finished that evening and the term by holding a Grand Investiture for the 16 new members and two new leaders making us all Squirrel Scouts in front of proud mums, dads, friends and family – as well as receiving the Feel Good Challenge. We have properly introduced Squirrel Scouts to Kettering!  
  • our Beaver Colony has been taking advantage of the lovely weather running Beaver games and activities outside, as well as making healthy snacks in ice cream cones for the Beaver Health and Fitness Challenges. We finished our term with an Aqua night – and if we got wet, hey! who cared?!
  • July started in style for the Pack, visiting Gallones Ice Cream makers in Northampton on a hot evening, and making their pancakes. Their last meeting of the term was spent making a water slide, playing mop hockey and having a water fight.    
  •  the Scouts have had one of the busiest months since lockdown finished. Our Tuesday night meetings started this month with a gentle backwoods cookery at JLC (with Tommy Lawson presenting our kayakers with their Paddling Awards), we took to Woodcroft Lawns for mop hockey and water fight, before spending an evening preparing for Troop Camp. We ran a Patrol Leaders Council in a tributary of the River Nene – officially training them to cross rivers, but when the temperature is approaching 40 degrees, why not? We ended the month by running our first Annual Troop Camp for 3 years at St Ives, taking away 23 Scouts (as well as 1 Cub Scout from our Liverpool Out-Reach Pack, and a visiting Squirrel Scout!) to go canoeing, sleeping in their bivvy shelters, making an aerial runway and a monkey bridge, and paddling bell boats along the River Great Ouse through the middle of St Ives. After a clearing up session, we too have now hibernated for the summer…        
  • our Kracken Explorer Unit has finished constructing the new fire pit at Woodcroft, and built a camp fire area around the fire. Woodcroft has been made a nicer place with the new planters made from the rafting barrels and old tyres, which will help control cars passing through the car park.     

We repeat our “Thank You” again from all of our Group members for your support which has made this all possible. And now, after delivering seven packed and varied months of 2022, the Leader Teams seriously need to take time away, recover and take stock before the start of the Autumn Term. Zzzzz …… Staying awake long enough to wish you a peaceful Summer. 

1st Kettering (Parish Church) Scout Group